Over one third of humanity is undernourished. Now a group of scientists are experimenting with specially-bred crops, and hoping to launch a new Green Revolution -- but controversy is brewing. By Philip Bethgemore...[ Comment ]

The world has been without passenger pigeons since 1914. Now, scientists want to bring them back. Geneticist Ben Novak has embarked on the project and has begun collecting passenger pigeon DNA from natural history museums. His "de-extinction" efforts are not without critics. By Philip Bethgemore...[ Comment ]

A controversial procedure that lets would-be parents test embryos for certain genetic defects will soon be allowed in special cases in Germany. What does this mean for society? By Kerstin Kullmannmore...[ Comment ]

A British biotech lab has released huge numbers of genetically modified mosquitoes in an effort to combat dengue fever. But locals, some say, were not adequately informed of the experiment -- and now a debate has erupted over the potential dangers to humans. By Rafaela von Bredowmore...

The European Court of Justice on Tuesday ruled that research using embryonic stem cells, in which the embryos are destroyed, cannot be patented. In Germany, where the research that prompted the original lawsuit was based, editorialists are mixed in their views of the ruling. more...

A new measure passed by German lawmakers will let would-be parents test fertilized embryos for possible life-threatening genetic defects. Critics say "pre-implantation genetic diganosis" is a step toward designer babies -- but the law will now make exceptions to prevent stillbirths and genetic diseases. more...

How Germanic is Great Britain really? Archeologists and geneticists have unveiled surprising revelations about the historical origins of people in the modern United Kingdom -- many of whom have ancestors who once crossed the North Sea. By Matthias Schulzmore...

Evolution is fact. That, at least, is what evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins argues, making his case in his new book "The Greatest Show on Earth," which has just been published in German. SPIEGEL ONLINE spoke with Dawkins about the shortcomings of religion, the grandeur of reality and the God Gene. more...

Researchers have long overestimated the role our genes play in determining intelligence. As it turns out, cognitive skills do not depend on ethnicity, and are far more malleable than once thought. Targeted encouragement can help children from socially challenged families make better use of their potential. By Jörg Blechmore...[ Comment ]

In a SPIEGEL interview, genetic scientist Craig Venter discusses the 10 years he spent sequencing the human genome, why we have learned so little from it a decade on and the potential for mass production of artificial life forms that could be used to produce fuels and other resources. more...